2015 BMW 2-series Active Tourer: The Beginning of a New Era

The front-drive BMW is upon us.

BMW’s future includes front-wheel drive, a layout that ultimately will nearly the double the brand’s sales and production. With the introduction of the 2015 2-series Active Tourer, that future is upon us. (Deep breaths.) As if a front-drive BMW wasn’t bad enough, this one is a high-roof hatchback that you may as well call a van. The Bavarians call it the “newest member of the 2-series family,” but the Active Tourer has far more in common with the new Mini Cooper hardtop than it does the car the company pitches as a modern-day 2002.

The 2-series measures at 170.9 inches in length, 61.4 inches tall, and 70.9 inches wide, with a wheelbase of 105.1 inches. As mentioned, its compact platform is shared, albeit slightly altered, with the new Mini. Down the road, this architecture will underpin a great number of BMW’s blossoming lineup of front-wheel-drive cars.

The brand's design studio made the very best of the difficult proposition that is creating an aesthetically pleasing compact family van. The result is sort of aggressive and sort of nerdy, with a front overhang that’s unusually short for a front-drive car. There’s ample room for five passengers, and the interior is highly flexible with a large trunk and a front passenger seat that can be folded down to create extra storage space.

The 2-series Active Tourer is the second BMW-badged model to be fitted with a three-cylinder engine after the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. The entry-level model, the 218i, comes with a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder that makes 136 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. BMW says that it’s capable of running from zero to 62 in 9.3 seconds and has a top speed of 124 mph. Power is transmitted to the front wheels through a six-speed manual or an optional six-speed automatic. The top-of-the-line model is the 225i, which is fitted with a 2.0-liter turbo four that makes 231 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. Fitted exclusively with an eight-speed slushbox, it charges to 62 mph in an impressive 6.8 seconds and manages a top speed of 146 mph. Believe it or not, it comes with launch control.

There’s also a diesel model, the 218d, that’s powered by a four-cylinder engine that makes 150 horsepower. Of course, these three powerplants have only been confirmed for Europe; U.S.-market availability has yet to be finalized, but the 225i is a given. All-wheel drive for the 225i is expected, and should also be available in a more powerful diesel model in the future.

The 2-series Active Tourer rides on a multilink rear axle, and a lowered sports suspension is optional. The van comes with a new single-pinion electromechanical power-steering system that’s said to be more efficient. The car’s stability-control system offers a brake-based simulation of a limited-slip differential, and drive modes can be altered between Comfort, Sport, or Eco Pro. Thanks to a liberal use of high-strength steel and an intelligent mixture of materials, the AT is lightweight: even the top-of-the-line 225i comes in at just a claimed 3153 pounds.

As a true, modern-day BMW, the 2-series Active Tourer is available with an impressive number of gadgets, gizmos, bells, and whistles; including parking aids, new-gen telematics functionality, an active cruise-control system with stop-and-go capability, and a head-up display. Full-LED headlights and LED taillights are optional.

The 2-series Active Tourer will force BMW’s purists to seriously evaluate the direction the brand has taken, but the sales expected from this model and its future front-drive brethren should help fund future fun stuff from the Bavarians. In that way, you can think of it like a dorkier Porsche Cayenne.

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*AccuPayment estimates payments under various scenarios for budgeting and informational purposes only. AccuPayment does not state credit or lease terms that are available from a creditor or lessor, and AccuPayment is not an offer or promotion of a credit or lease transaction.